Chapter 23 Part3 (1/2)
Language
Editor: shi+nonomeResearchLabs, Proofer: Hakou
A exploded with a sharp crackle
A blond younga tune as he lazily chucked another stick into the undulating flames
The melody of the tune was rather sorrowful and melancholy, as if in defiance of the cheery at bonfire had so carefully created
Having run out of sticks, the young man disappointedly checked the tilass beside him and looked up
” … ”
Across the firepit sat an old woirl at her side
”… Hey, ojou-chan”
It was the young man with the wild smile―Alexei―that spoke up
”Shouldn't you be asleep about now?”
”… I'irl with dark skin, replied while partially hiding behind Heide the old wo e
There, a hu dress danced about like a shadow puppet
”Man, this is great Perfect for killing ti an innocent, childlike smile on his face at this rare source of entertainlance at a certain tent, a quiet tent that doesn't uy was also a ician like her… ”
” …”
No one answered Alexei's whisper
Watching the dancing shadows, the bored young
”Hey, Alexei Can I ask you so?”
Heide
”H has a nice melody… What's its name?”
「これか。『GreenSleeves』って曲だよ」
”It's called 'Greensleeves' ” (ED Note: For those that don't know it, here)
”… Oh? It's not a song of the Snowfield people?”
”Mhhtly s:
Alas, ,
To cast me off discourteously
For I have loved you for so long,
Delighting in your company
Greensleeves was all ht,
Greensleeves was reensleeves…
Passion, sorrow, and a faint residual bitterness
The deep, tenor singing echoed in the woods-gently though, as to not disturb those already asleep in the twilight hours of the day
”Wow… ”
Clap clap clap Edda quietly applauded, with Heide all the while
”That's a good song… I've never heard it before So this is a song of the Plains people?”
”Well, it's sung in the language of the Plains people, but the song itself has been passed down by the Snowfield tribes I've heard that it was left behind by a stranger who ca”
ED Note: The furigana above ”stranger” (denoted by me as a superscript for the bracketed words for lack of a better syntax) reads ”étranger,” er in French, in case you didn't know already froe
”Beyond the fog?”
”… Étranger?”
”Ah, it's a terions to it”
Seeing the pair's curiosity, Alexei picked up a branch sticking out froan to draw a h it's called the Northlands, that's just from the perspective of the principality The place is actually coions: north, south, east, and west The north is just a white wasteland covered in snow It's said that the snow there does not melt even in the summer In the center and to the south, there are many tribes It's cold in the winter, but it's not that bad: pretty livable in fact It's got salt and fish for trade, and the region is prosperous enough for there to be friendly relations between the tribes And then, the east―”
Alexei drew a circle around the indicated area and frowned
”This area is called the De, noher previously carefree attitude, Edda let out a frightened gasp
”The Sage's Hideout… The Forest Where the De is certain though: it's a really bad place… ”
”Why… why is it dangerous?”
Alexei paused for a while with a gri to the terrified Edda
”… I heard this fro his forearan
”When … he wanted to prove his bravery and all that; he was budding young o into the fog even though it was considered crazy to go in ten steps
”Naturally, randfather had heard all the stories about the Demon's Forest: orbs of fire that make you lose or sense of direction… monsters who imitate a hu a rope so as to at least not get lost”
Alexeia rope around Edda's waist
”Like this, randfather attached the rope to himself The other end was securely tied to a tree at the entrance of the forest, leaving enough rope in between for both entering and returning After he had fastened the ropes and everything was ready,his hands in prayer, Alexei paused for a while
”But… it was right after entering”
Gulp… Edda sed her saliva
”My grandfather… it seeh he had just entered”
”… Eh?”
”Like I said, a piss It wasn't enough to leak, but it was concerning nonetheless-it's like that But, in the De children are silent, o Since he had entered, randfather decided to follow the rope back to the entrance Thus, he got out of the fog and did his business But afterwards, ht blue eyes flashed a glance at Edda
”The rope, which had been meticulously tied with nuic trick”
”At the tione barely ten steps, in and out Noin that time even if there were any around While this already freaked er… ”
”… What is it… ?”
”Somehow, the rope, which was brand new, looked terribly black and worn And when he took the rope to exahly three centi… the rope was covered in it… As if a tiny child with dirty hands had been playing with it”
” … !”
”Moreover, those hand marks-they weren't just around the knot If you had taken a closer look, you could trace them from the part where it unraveled… All the way until… till it reached the part that was tied around randfather exclaimed 'no way!' and panickedly unraveled the rope around his waist And then… ”
”… And then… ?”